Around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Tom Izzo received a phone call from former star Paul Davis.
The Michigan State coach had ejected Davis from Monday’s game after the former NBAer said something “he should never say anywhere in the world” to a referee during Monday’s win over USC.
Davis, whom the coach said was “embarrassed,” offered to hold a press conference Tuesday to apologize for his actions.
“Yesterday shouldn’t have happened, but today needs to happen,” Davis said Tuesday. “I’m not up here to offer any excuses, I’m up here to take accountability, to own it.”
He added: “The block S (Michigan State logo), that’s not what it represents. That’s not why I cam here, that’s not why I wear it proudly. It was a mistake. It was a mistake that will never happen again. It’s a mistake that is not me, but unfortunately last night it was.”
Davis played for Michigan State from 2002-06, averaging 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds, before being drafted in the second round by the Clippers in the 2006 NBA Draft.
The ex-big man ranks 10th in school history.
During Monday’s 80-51 win over USC, Davis became a part of the game when referee Jeffrey Anderson blew his whistle and pointed to a fan in the crowd, later revealed to be Davis.
Anderson then approached Izzo to inform him of the situation, and the coach extended his hands in a questioning motion and seemingly said: “What the f–k are you doing?
Davis, who earlier had a Twisted Tea in his hand, then left his courtside seat.
“So he kind of got after the official, and he was 150 percent wrong. For a guy like me to 150 percent agree with the officials — it’s almost illegal,” Izzo said.
“So it was nothing — when I said he shouldn’t have said it, you just shouldn’t say what he said. But it wasn’t, you know, let’s not get carried away. It wasn’t something racial, it wasn’t something sexual. It wasn’t, you know. So it was just the wrong thing to say, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Davis, 41, did not reveal what he said that crossed the line, though he said he it did not involve Anderson.
He said he either had apologized to or officially offered an apology to Anderson, Izzo, Michigan State and USC’s players, fans, parents and his alma mater.
“I told them the focus was taken off of you, the focus was taken off USC,” Davis said. “This was not what we need to be focusing on heading into this new year, but unfortunately my actions yesterday required it.”
Izzo appreciated Davis being willing to own his mistake.
“I think he deserved what he got to a certain extent,” Izzo said, “but that’s not who he is.”
